1/13/19
Deadlift ID 350x5x1 (5PR)
Squats VD 305x5x4
First day of rotating rep ranges after running out the deadlift, so it's been months since I pulled a 5 rep PR. Forgot how much they suck! Stoked to hit it though. Repeated my last squat volume day, which would have been the plan regardless of the layoff. Like yesterday's bench, it felt heavier than it should have. Decided to cut it a set short so as to not overdo things on my first workouts back.
Bonus: A kid asked to borrow my belt (not for the first time *eyeroll*), and I was between squat sets so I let him. He and his buddy (who I've also talked to before) were deadlifting and asked if I had any tips. Coached them through the five steps, and they both looked a lot better afterwards! Pretty strong kids, at least by the standards of our gym. At my gym, I'm constantly surrounded by what I like to call "coaching opportunities" (seems more generous than "train wrecks"). Always like when I get to practice my coaching and help someone out without having to be "that guy."
01-16-2019, 08:47 PM
Dillon Spencer
1/16/19
Bench ID 240x1x5
Press VD 145x5x4
10 rounds 45s rest:
3 chins
3 dips
3 hanging leg raises
So I decided to keep easing my way back in a bit. I was going to switch to singles on the bench this time around anyways, but I did it at 240 (which I doubled last week) instead of going up to 242.5. Definitely could have gone up, but I'll get it next week. No big deal. My press continues to be what suffers most after the layoff. Was due for a bit of a volume reset anyways, so I did 5 lbs less than last volume day, but rep 5 of set 4 got real grindy, so I just called it there. Then I did a little upper body conditioning thing. Whatever! All in all, felt a lot better than my first upper body workout back. I could have hit all my numbers, but dialled back just a bit so I can crush them next week.
All things considered, the squats went up pretty well. Had a dicey rep on the second rep of the first set. Let my upper back round, and it made the rep way harder than it had to be. Learned my lesson for the rest of them and they went fine. Decided to reset my deadlift volume, so this felt pretty easy. Did a bit of kettlebell stuff for conditioning afterwards. Trying to get a little bit leaner over the next couple of months. I've managed to get my dad into lifting, and want him to keep at it. They're getting a place in Costa Rica for a few months, and the gf and I are going down to visit for 10 days in March. They're pretty much the only two people in the world who think I looked better when I was skinny, so I want to be able to show them that you can be strong without being "fat" (eye roll). Hence the recent conditioning. Not going crazy with it, just trying to mix it up with a variety of things I've done in the past and somewhat enjoy.
01-19-2019, 05:46 PM
Dillon Spencer
1/19/19
Press ID 165x1x5
Bench VD 207.5x5x5
10 rounds 45s rest:
3 chins
40x3 KB C&P
3 hanging leg raises
Feel like the press is on a come back. Probably could have hit the singles at 170 that I attempted after my sick week, but decided to work back up for another week. Pretty confident I'll get it no problem. Bench volume was fine. If anything it felt easier than last week's 205, which I also take as a good sign that I'm getting back to normal. Another little circuit for conditioning, and ALMOST made it back in time to watch the end of the Nationals. Missed it by seconds.
3 rep PR on the deadlift, and it went pretty smoothly. Think I did a good job of keeping it on my legs, which has been a little hit and miss lately. Made it my main focus today and think I nailed it. Squats were cake. Definitely time to up the weight for volume day next time. Little bit of sled work for conditioning, and it was another good day! Now off to a buffet dinner!
01-23-2019, 07:39 AM
Dillon Spencer
1/22/19
Bench ID 242.5x1x5 (PR)
Press VD 147.5x5x5
Rows 195x7x3
Back on schedule with my bench. These would have been my planned singles a couple of weeks ago when illness hit. Wasn't my best work as I wasn't able to collect all the equipment for my preferred set up until a couple of sets into my work sets. All but one of the benches in my globogym are shitty adjustable things. There's exactly one old solid bench that doesn't wobble under me and is the perfect height for the safeties in the racks. Once I was able to claim it, these felt nice and smooth. Press felt rough. Form was a little inconsistent and it was a bit grindy, but only 2.5 lbs off my volume PR so I guess the press is most of the way back. Hopefully I can hit some PR singles on the weekend. Press probably wasn't helped by the fact that I was in a rush so was super setting it with a few sets of rows. Got it all done though, so it's a good day!
01-25-2019, 07:43 AM
Dillon Spencer
1/24/19
Squats ID 360x1x5 (1PR)
Deadlift VD 280x5x2
Intensity singles were a little wobbly. Got a bit onto my toes on one rep, a bit onto my heels another. Nothing that jeopardized finishing the lift, but enough to feel and have to correct. A bit of a change of plan on my deadlifts. I was going to start rotating rep ranges, but currently my 5 rep PRs on squats and deads are only 10 lbs apart, which seems off. I'm going to chase some more 5 rep PRs on the deadlift while I keep rotating rep ranges on the squat. Dropped the deadlift volume down to the prescribed 80% of intensity day (which feels stupid light) and am going to run it up from there, which I have lots of room for.
01-26-2019, 03:47 PM
Dillon Spencer
1/26/19
Press ID 170xFUCKING FAILx2 135x8x3 (8PR)
CGBP 185x5x3
Rear delt flyes 20x12x3
Cable delt raises 4x12x3
10 rounds of:
3 chins
3 dips
3 half standing rollouts
30s rest
Today pissed me right off. I think it's pretty safe to say my press is good and stuck. Almost going backwards. I failed these harder than when I tried 170 after a week off being sick. I'm working on a minor cut, but I've only dropped a couple of pounds so far, so I wouldn't expect it to hit the wall this hard. In a fit of frustration, I impulsively decided to change up my upper body programming. I've been really intrigued by some of Andy Baker's 8/5/2 stuff for a while, and was thinking of giving it a try after I got back from vacation in March. Think I'm just going to go ahead and do it for upper body starting now. My press run out appears to be stalled, despite singles going pretty much nowhere, and my bench probably only has a little bit left in it too. I'm also just craving some variety in rep ranges and exercise selection, and 8/5/2 seems like a way to include some assistance/accessory exercises without making my workouts take way too long. So far, I've continued to hit squat and deadlift PRs all over the place, so I'm going to stick with the TM programming for that. I'll think it out a bit more than I did today, but basically I'm going to have a press focused day and a bench focused day each week, with some additional work for the pressing muscles on each. I know this is a gross violation of the principle of minimum effective dose, but it's not like I have aims to compete in anything at the moment, and I'm treating it as an opportunity to learn about a different type of programming. I solemnly swear I'm not becoming a bodybuilder.
Got another 5 rep deadlift PR. Not too much problem getting them up, but the last two got off my legs a bit. It happens. I think the conditioning I've been doing is helping me keep my workouts shorter. I've been more strictly limiting my rest periods between volume sets to about 5 minutes and not having any problems getting it done. In the past I've felt the need to take more than that, depending on the day.
Second workout of my 8/5/2 experiment. Kind of guessing at weights here. Could have gone a bit heavier, but this was pretty close. I'm liking the set up so far, so I'm kind of using this time before vacation to feel out the program so I can hit the ground running when I get back. Don't really track PRs on rows, but hitting 200 for 7 was cool. Just going to keep running it out, and hopefully I'll be doing 225 for fahves. Did my upper body conditioning circuit and was out of there in about an hour!